Power transmission



March 9, 1943.

H. F. VICKERS POWER TRANSMISSION Filed Jan. 26, 1940 INVENTOR HARRY F. VICKERS BY 5 W WM ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 9, 1943 rowan TRANSMISSION Harry F. Vickers, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Vick-- el's Incorporated, Detroit, Mich., a corporation v of Michigan Application January 26, 1940, Serial No. 315,691

9 Claims.

This invention relates to power transmissions, particularly to those of the type comprising two or 'more flui d pressure energy translating devices one of which may function as a pump and another as a fluid motor.

The invention is particularly'concerned with power transmission systems adapted for pumping oil wells. Pump jacks for oil wells in use at the present time are of various types, one such type which is coming into wider use being the hydraulically actuated type wherein a cylinder and piston hydraulic motor situated directly over the well is utilized'to actuate the sucker rods of the well pump. Pump jacks of this character frequentl utilize a separate hydraulic cylinder and piston forming a counterbalance reducing the power required to operate the pumping unit.

Many oil wells yield oil which is mixed with a considerable portion of water, and where the yield is of this character it is customary to provide a settling tank into which the mixed oil and water is passed and where the water settles to the bottom leaving the oil to be collected from the top. Certain wells are so situated on the ground surface that it becomes impossible to drain the waste water or tailings by gravity, and it is accordingly necessary to provide a tail pump for elevating the separated water to a point where it may be drained away naturaliy.-

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved oil well pumping unit incorporating a tail pump which may be readily operated from a hydraulic type of well pumping unit. Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be, apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view partly in,

section of a wellpumping unit. embodying a preferred form of the present invention.

- Figure 2 is a fragmentar cross section taken on line'2- -2 of Figure 1.

Referring now to Figure 1, there isillustrated a work cylinder III which is mounted vertically over the casing head !2 of an oil well, the casing" of which is designated as 14. 4 The work cylinder III has end .castifp sslfic andJLthrough which.

suitable connections 28 and 22 are provided. A piston 24 is reciprocably mounted in the work cylinder l8 and has a rodz26 which is connected to the sucker rods in the well. Mounted upon a suitablebox-like framework 28 is a counterbalance cylinder 38 having end castings 32 and 34 in which suitable connections 36 and 38 are .pro-

vided. The counterbalance cylinder 38 has a piston 46 the rod 42 of which projects through the end casting 32 by means of a stufling box and carries a counterbalance weight 44.

The work and counterbalance cylinders are connected together by a hydraulic circuit WhlCh includes a pressure fluid pumping unit 46. Thus the unit 46 is connected by a pipe 48 to the connection 22 of the work cylinder l0 and by a pipe 56 to the connection 38 of the counterbalance cylinder 36. Preferably the lower ends of the cylinders 58 and 36 are connected together by a pipe 52 in which is incorporated a tail pump operating cylinder, later to-be described. The pump unit 46 may be of any suitable construction operative to alternately deliver fluid in one direction or the other between pipes 48 and 50.

A suitable automatic reversing mechanism is provided comprising a pair of levers 56 and 58 pivotally mounted in the end castings 32 and 34 and adapted to be actuated alternately by contact with the beveled ends of the piston 40 at the limits of its stroke. The levers 56 and 58 may be connected together by a link 66, and by means 'of linkage 62, crank shaft 64 and link 66 may be connected to actuate the reversing lever 68 provided at the pump unit 46. Also a pair of levers II and 13 are provided at the work cylinder ill .and connected together by a link 14 and connected' by a link 16 to a reverse lever 11 at the pump unit 46; The latter unit includes means; not shown, for synchronizing the two pistons 24 and 48 whenever they get out of time by a predetermined amount due to leakage losses from,

the pipe 52. Such mechanism acts to replenish the secondary circuit connecting the lower ends of the cylinders through a replenishing pipe 19.-

The pump unit may also be provided with a starting and stopping control handle 16. The mechanism thus far. described forms per so no part of the present invention and is intended merely as a typical hydraulic well pumping unit to which the present invention is applicable.

i 1led June-22,1939, for Oil well pumpin machinery, and of Harry F. Vickers, Kenneth R. Herman and Jesse Moser, Serial No. 313,862, filed January 15, 1940, for Oil well pumping apparatus.

For the purpose of elevating the separated water a tail pump generally designated 12 is pro vided. The tail pump 12 comprises a cylinder 16 in which a piston ,18 is reciprocably mounted. The latter has an operating rod 80. The cylinder 16 has a head casting 82 communicating with the space to the left of the piston 18 and containing the customary inlet connection 84 and outlet connection .86 in which check valves 88 and 90 are located respectively.

For the purpose of operating the-tail pump 52 there is provided in the pipe 52 an operating cylinder 92 having a,piston 94 connected'to the rod 80 of the tail pump. The cylinder 92 has its two ends connected between the two portions of pipe 52. At each end of the cylinder 92 there are provided auxiliary ports 96 and 98 which communicate by means of check valves I and I02 with ports l04 and I06 located in the side walls of the cylinder 92. The latter ports are spaced from the ends of the cylinder by a distance somewhat greater than the length of the piston 94. Preferably a'bypass pipe I08 is connected across the ends of the cylinder. 92 and provided with a manually operable shut-off cock H0.

In operation with the pumping unit 46 running and the starting handle 10 shifted to running position, the pumping unit withdraws power transmission oil from the top of the work cylinder l0 through connection 22 and pipe 48 and delivers it through pipe 50 and connection 38 to the upper end of counterbalance cylinder 30. The piston 24 and the sucker rods in the well are accordingly elevated while the counterweight 44 is at the same time lowered. When the latter reaches the end of its stroke the piston contactsthe-lever 56 and piston 24 contacts'lever H shifting the reversing linkage causing the pump unit 45 to deliver oil in the opposite direction. Thus the piston 24 is lowered and the piston 40 elevated, this reciprocation of the two pistons in opposite directions continuing as long as the handle 1'0 re-. mains in the running position.

When it is desired to operate the tail pump 12 in synchronism with the movements of the work piston 24, the shut-ofi cock I I0 is closed, as shown When the piston 94 reaches the left-hand end of its stroke it passes beyond the port I04 and thus opens a free path for flow from the righthand side of piston 94 through check valve I00 to port 96 and thus into the lefthand portion of pipe 52. Accordingly the displacement of the piston 94 may be considerably less than that of either piston 24 or piston 40, the provision of the check valves I00 and I02 insuring that the piston 94 will be driven through its full stroke at each stroke of the work piston. During the downward movement of piston 24 the action at cylinder 92 is similar to that described but in the opposite direction, check valve I00 preventing reverse flow around the piston 94 at the start of the stroke and the check valve I02 permitting by-passing to occur after piston 94 has completed its stroke. When it is desired to discontinue operation of the tail pump while continuing operation of the work piston 24, the by-pass H0 may be opened thus permitting free flow between the two sections of pipe 52 without actuating piston 94.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form,

adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What-is claimed is as follows:

1. In a sucker rod type pumping system for oil wells having a. hydraulically actuated well pump actuator including a work cylinder and piston assembly for reciprocating the sucker rod, a counterbalance cylinder and piston assembly reciprocable in timed relation to the movements of the sucker rod, and a hydraulic circuit including a pressure fluid supplying means connecting said cylinders, the combination of a tail pump having a reciprocable operating member, and a cylinder and piston connected in series in said v circuit for operating said member.

2. In a sucker rod type pumping system for oil wells having a hydraulically actuated well pump actuator including a work cylinder and piston assembly for reciprocating the sucker rod, 'a counterbalance cylinder and piston assembly reciprocable in timed relationto the movements of the sucker rod, and a hydraulic circuit including a pressure fluid supplying means connecting said cylinders, the combination of a tail pump having a reciprocable operating member, a cylinder and piston connected in series in said circuit for operating said member, said 1ast named cylinder and piston having a smaller displacement than that of the work cylinder, and means rendered effective at the completion of a stroke of the tail pump to form a by-pass across the last-mentioned piston.

cylinders, the combination of a tail pump hav-.

ing a reciprocable operating member, a cylinder and piston connected in series in said circuit for operating said member, said last named cylinder and piston having a smaller displacement than that of the work cylinder, and means rendered effective at the completion of a stroke of the tail pump in each direction to form a bypass across the last-mentioned piston.

4. In a sucker rod type pumping system for oil wells having a hydraulically actuated well pump actuator including a work cylinder and piston assembly for recip ocating the sucker rod, a counterbalance cylinder and piston assembly reciprocable in timed'relation to the movements of the sucker rod, and a hydraulic circuit including a pressure fluid supplying means connecting said cylinders, the.combination of a tail pump having a reciprocable operating member, a cylinder and piston connected in series in said circuit for operating said member, means forming a bypass across the last-mentioned piston, and a valve for selectively closing or opening said bypass to render the tail pump selectively efiective or ineffective.

5. In a sucker rod type pumping system for oil wells having a hydraulically actuated well pump actuator including a work cylinder and piston assembly for reciprocating the sucker rod, a counterbalance cylinder and piston assembly reciprocable in timed relation to'the movements of the sucker rod, and a hydraulic circuit including a pressure fluid supp ying means connecting said cylinders, the combination of a tail pump having a reciprocable operating member, a cylinder and piston connected in series in said circuit for operating said member, means'forming a bypass across the last-mentioned piston, and a manually operable valve for selectively closing or opening said'bypass to render the tail pump selectively effective or ineffective.

- reciprocable in timed relation to the movements of the sucker rod, and a hydraulic circuit including a pressure fluid supplying means connecting said cylinders, the combination of a tail pump having a reciprocable operating member, a cylinder and piston connected in series in said circuit for operating said member, said last named cylinder and piston having a smaller dis-' placement than that of the work cylinder, means rendered effective at the completion of a stroke of 'the tail pump to form a bypass across the last-mentioned piston, and check valve means for closing the bypass to flow in the direction to produce a return strok of the tail pump.

' 7. In a sucker rod type pumping system for oil wells having a. hydraulically actuated well pump actuator including a work cylinder and piston assembly for reciprocating the sucker rod,

a counterbalance cylinder and piston assembly reciprocable in timed relation to the movements of the sucker rod, and a hydraulic circuit includ- 8. In a sucker rod type pumping system for oil wells having a hydraulically actuated well pump actuator including a work cylinder and piston assembly for reciprocating the sucker rod.

a counterbalance cylinder and piston assembly reciprocable in timedrelation to the movements of the sucker rod, and a hydraulic circuit including a pressure fluid supplying means connecting said cylinders, thecombination of a tail pump having a reciprocable operating member, a cylinder and piston connected in series between said work and counterbalance cylinders for operating said member, said lastv named cylinder and piston having a smaller displacement-than that of the work cylinder, and means rendered efiective at the completion of a stroke of the tail pump to form a bypass across the last-mentioned piston.

9. In a sucker rod type pumping system for oil wells having a hydraulically actuated well pump actuator including a work cylinder and piston assembly for reciprocating the sucker rod, a counterbalance cylinder and piston assembly reciprocable in timed relation to the movements of the sucker rod, and a hydraulic circuit including a pressure fluid supplying means connecting said cylinders, th combination ot a tail pump having a reciprocable operating member, a cylinder and piston connected in series between said work and counterbalance cylinders for opcrating said member, means forming a bypass ing a pressure fluid supplying means connecting said cylinders, the combination of a tail pump having a reciprocable operating member, and a. cylinder and piston connected in series between said work and counterbalance cylinders foroperating said member.

across the last-mentioned piston, and a valve for selectively closing or opening said byapss to render the tail pump selectively efiective or ineffective.

HARRY F. VICKERS. 

